[fa.info-vax] VMS directory which won't go away -- Help!

info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (01/31/85)

From: usl!pml@ut-sally.ARPA (Patrick Landry)

I have a problem on a VAX 11-780 running VMS 3.2 that I hope one of you
will be able to help me with. There is a directory on the system which
has become corrupted. When I try to delete the .dir file the system tells me 
it won't because the directory is not empty. However, if I change into
the directory and try del *.*;* the system tells me no files can be found
because the .dir file is corrupted. I have poured through the manuals to
no avail. If someone out there can help me I would be very thankful.
                     ---pat---
                                      Patrick Landry
ut-sally \                            University of Southwestern Louisiana
          !usl!pml
  akgua  /                            LandryPM%usl@csnet-relay.ARPA
Newsgroups: fa.info-vax

info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (01/31/85)

From: Jerry Leichter <Leichter@YALE.ARPA>

    I have a problem on a VAX 11-780 running VMS 3.2 that I hope one of you
    will be able to help me with. There is a directory on the system which
    has become corrupted. When I try to delete the .dir file the system tells me 
    it won't because the directory is not empty. However, if I change into
    the directory and try del *.*;* the system tells me no files can be found
    because the .dir file is corrupted. I have poured through the manuals to
    no avail. If someone out there can help me I would be very thankful.
                         ---pat---
                                          Patrick Landry
    ut-sally \                            University of Southwestern Louisiana
              !usl!pml
      akgua  /                            LandryPM%usl@csnet-relay.ARPA
    Newsgroups: fa.info-vax
    
There is a bit in the file header of a directory that VMS checks; it will not
let you delete a file with the "directory" bit if the directory looks non-
empty.  When a directory gets corrupted, it may appear "non-empty" forever.

There is an easy fix:  The DCL command SET FILE/NODIRECTORY <file-spec> will
force the "I'm a directory" bit in the header off.  You can then delete the
file.

Any files in the corrupted directory will now be "lost".  Use ANALYZE/DISK to
find them and move them to the SYSLOST directory; you can recover them from
there.
							-- Jerry
-------

info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (02/07/85)

From: cbosgd!clyde!watmath!utcsrgv!orton@BERKELEY (Ed Orton)

Try SET FILE/NODIRECTORY filename
and then deleting it.